Jake Harriman
Maina Chen

About Our Conversation

I decided to take my first Coffee + Courage Challenge with my friend and teammate, Maina Chen. She is +MPU’s Digital Media Specialist and politically comes from a very different background from me.

We sat down for a cup of tea at a traditional Chinese teahouse in Chinatown, New York. She shared with me her culture, traditions, and the struggles that she and her family experienced as a multicultural immigrant family in New York City. I also got to share with her my upbringing on a West Virginia farm where we lived off the land.

We come from vastly different worlds, yet somehow, we have ended up working alongside each other for the betterment of the country. We all have similar hopes and dreams for ourselves and our loved ones in this country.

This is what the American Promise is all about: no matter where you come from, you can make meaningful choices to fulfill your American Dream.

I challenge each and every one of you to take the Coffee + Courage Challenge. You’ll learn something new about your coffeemate, and you’ll help strengthen America along the way.

-Jake Harriman